On Friday, Pitt announced that guard Jamarius Burton had undergone a successful knee procedure, and that he is expected to be sidelined for the next 4-6 weeks.
“I feel great,” Burton told Pittsburgh Sports Now on Friday.
Burton, a transfer from Texas Tech, is looking to be one of Pitt’s lead guards this season. He began his college career at Wichita State, and there he averaged 10.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 3.5 assists during his sophomore year.
“Jamarius had some swelling and discomfort in his knee and after evaluation by our medical staff we determined the best course of action would be to take care of it now before the start of the season,” Jeff Capel said in a release. “With his level of maturity and commitment to the game, we are extremely confident Jamarius will put in the work to make a full recovery. As one of the leaders in the program, I know he we remain engaged with the coaches and his teammates throughout the rehab process and continue to build strong relationships within the program. We look forward to having him back out on the court as soon as the recovery process allows.”
If he is out for four weeks, Burton would return just in time for the season-opening contest against The Citadel on Nov. 9. If he is sidelined for six, he will have to miss games against The Citadel, West Virginia, and UNC-Wilmington.
While sophomore Femi Odukale was already expected by many to be the starting point guard, with Burton’s injury, expect walk-on Onye Ezeakudo to see some playing time at the one spot. Also, Nike Sibande, Ithiel Horton, and Will Jeffress could see more minutes during Burton’s absence holding down the 2-3 position.
Is burton expected to play point guard or be a wing on this team?
I would think PG…..but both is possible if Horton and Sibande stink it up/.
As long as he gets plenty of PT against some of the scrubs in the non-con and is ready for ACC beatdowns,. we should be ready for another cellar run.
Why would Pitt wait until the beginning of the BB season for him to have this surgery? Why not earlier so he would be ready for the season?
Capel must have been so desperate for recruits….he recruited an already injured player.